WINNER POAKA CHORIZO – WHOLE

IF EVER THERE WAS a lucky pig, then surely it must be any member of the porcine Berkshire family that lives on the Poaka site in Aylesbury, just out of Christchurch.

They are grown larger and longer than standard-issue commodity pigs. They feast on a diet of acorns and chestnuts for their final three months. And they truly range free to their dying day.

The benefits of those indulgences are apparent in Poaka products, in this case the chorizo which has taken out the Cuisine Artisan Award at the New Zealand Food Awards 2022.

This slow-grow movement is the stuff that brings Catalonia to Canterbury.

It also brings two Cuisine faves to the fore once more. We can thank former Cuisine Chef of the Year Giulio Sturla (his restaurants have scored two and three Cuisine hats in recent years) for the inspiration. After Poaka won the Cuisine Artisan Award for its sweet-tasting and nutty-flavoured coppa in 2019, Guilio said it was the closest thing to Spanish ham he had found here. High praise indeed. So, bolstered by that benediction, the chorizo challenge began.

Says Doug Hill of Poaka, “You could say our Catalan take on chorizo is our Ground Zero moment.”

It was Doug who planted 10ha of chestnuts on the 40ha farm three decades ago. Son Josh saw a nutty feeding solution when he returned home and switched from beef and sheep to pigs in 2016 (poaka is the

We introduce the finalists in the Cuisine Artisan Awards category at the New Zealand Food Awards 2022. Our winner this year is Poaka Chorizo.

Here we take a look at what makes this so special.

Māori word for pig). Poaka chorizo has a subtle, smoky flavour, punctuated with a hint of hot pimentón. “Combined with our unique silky, nutty fat, it is a genuine artefact of this ancient Catalan tradition,” explains Doug.

In keeping with that tradition, Poaka only uses natural casings. It’s not possible to make an authentic chorizo using synthetic casings, says Doug. And while natural casings are harder to work with, cost more and deliver products of all shapes and sizes, it’s worth it. “The natural casing allows us to deliver what we think is perfect maturing.” It truly is a labour of love, with winning results.

Poaka’s chorizo is fermented for several days, before being air-dried for more than three months. It can be safely stored for extended ageing.

poaka.co.nz GERALDINE JOHNS